


The Crimson Mermaid

by ForgottenBeast



Category: BlazBlue
Genre: Breasts, Developing Relationship, F/M, Lemon, Little Mermaid Elements, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Sexual Fantasy, Smut, Warnings May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-07-05 10:00:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15861381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenBeast/pseuds/ForgottenBeast
Summary: This story is set in an Alternative Universe. Jin Kisaragi was living his boring life regularly until he met someone who changed his world. The problem is they live in two worlds; he’s a human while she’s a mermaid. On top of that, their feelings for each other will continuously grow the more time they spend with each other. Will Jin finally have the one person he wants in his life? Will the mermaid succeed in fulfilling her dream to join the human world?





	1. At Last! We Finally Meet!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing a romance story between Jin Kisaragi and Tsubaki Yayoi. I don't see much of this pairing anymore in Blazblue fanfiction and I want to make an effort to write more story while also taking a few liberties like setting this story at a different universe. I choose the mermaid approach as there are times where Tsubaki would somehow remind me of Ariel based on interactions I have with friends a few years. This is my first fanfiction in a long time so please leave some constructive criticism on how I would improve this story. Thank you.

**Chapter 1: At last! We Finally Meet!**

Jin's POV

Let me tell you the time I met the woman who changed my life. It started when my vacation time began and I was waving my ‘friends' goodbye as I slowly making my way to the beach where I planned to spend my afternoon. I was a 17-year-old student studying at the local NOL Police Academy. My goal is to become a police officer and hopefully work my way up to being a police chief by the age of 30. I thought it was the best goals to have at the time as I really have no one else around to live with or even care about so I decided to be ambitious with my future. I hope that is not a problem for anyone who is listening now. 

On my first day of spending my vacation, I decided I should go to the beach and have a quick tan. I quickly got my simple bag, packed it full of clothes and carried it over to my car. I made sure to look around my block to see no fan-girls lying in wait for me and then went on my way to the beach. I swear that these fan-girls have gotten their priorities screwed up ever since I dealt with the whole Ikaruga district affair. One moment, I was the most ignored guy in the neighborhood and after that event, I was suddenly elevated to the spotlight. Not only is that not cool but I was not comfortable about it and I really want my personal space. The car drive only took around 40 minutes until I eventually reach my destination.

The beach was very big but I decided to pick a nice spot close to the water and away from the majority of the locals. I'm not much of a people person; I don't like to talk to others and I don't like to speak to others. If you want my opinion, I despise socializing with other people who only waste my time. In this town, that would be a huge number of this population considering how they keep violating my private space. I mean, is it a crime for a person like me trying to get some alone time without anyone being a bit of a nuisance? It is one of those questions I can't really answer.

Well, it didn't really matter to me now because I finally got some peace and quiet. I'm going to lay down here in my spot with my towel and watch the sea for an hour before I return home. No one is going to ruin my vacation time if I have anything to say about it.

Tsubaki's POV

I was part of the Azure Kingdom's Wings of Justice, a specialized group of warriors who are sent through different parts of the sea performing different sets of missions to his Majesty, the Imperator. We have earned the name from the one mermaid who gave her life up by sparing her prince and choosing to die; the name came from the spirits the mermaid joined in the afterlife. They were known as the Daughters of the Air, spirits that watch over children and weep if they misbehave but smile if they were good. Instead of observing children, we usually get the task of observing different parts of the sea and ensure everything remains peaceful.

Today was a different day though; I finally got the day off and I was free to do whatever I please. His Majesty was kind to tell me himself of my day off and with his blessings, I left his palace with a smile as I returned to the sunken ship which I have claimed as my home. I entered the room and took out different books to read. The ones I love to read would be romance stories where the girl usually gets together with her man.

However, the materials I possess are actually illegal. My homeland here under the sea do not accept human contraband of any kind and it was decreed for generations that all sorts of humans contraband are to be destroyed. This also includes stories and books that were made by humans but I'm fortunate that I have quite a collection of books to hide my secret favorite stories.

You might be asking why I have these books in my possessions if they're illegal? Well, it's because I'm interested in the human civilization. I have been fond of the books I read with humans playing music, singing, dancing, moving around and travel the world on foot and sea; it's all sound so adventurous and engaging. It's something that I want to research and explore myself but because I was born as a mermaid, this goal seems impossible for me to achieve. However, I didn't let it get in the way of my attempt to do further research on human civilization. The only thing I need now is someone with more hands-on knowledge to tell me and show me how the human world look.

Once I got my handbag packed, I left my home and swim away from my kingdom to start my search. As I swam, I looked around my surrounding to see the home I've been living around since birth. Sure, the colony looks pretty with the reefs, the lights of the city, and the glamorous life of being able to breathe underwater but is living underneath a city hidden under rocks really all that great? No, not to me and that's why I feel sorry for my own people. It's like living in ignorance and thinking everything will be okay when it may not.

It took me more than an hour to search but I finally found land that I can observe from but of course, I cannot be too close or else, I would expose myself. I would search around for a good place to look from a farther distance. Thankfully, there was a rock for me to set up shop so I prep my body and immediately jumped out of the water and landed on top of the rock. I've packed up a small bag for a quick lunch and a journal for my trip. Within fifteen minutes, I was on my way out to find the closest source of civilization that I can find. It took me one hour to finally find a place to start my research on the human world. After making myself comfortable, I started to sing about my desire to find my true love. The one thing I didn't know was the fact my singing has attracted unwanted attention.

As I continued to sing, I felt someone coming towards me and so I stopped and saw a young boy with blonde hair looking at me with a smile and greeting me. Only one word popped into my head at that moment.

‘Crap.'

Jin's POV

After staring at the sea for a long time, I saw something in the middle of the sea. I leaned forward to find a girl around my age standing on edge of a rock. Upon looking at the girl for a few moments, I realize that she was alone and singing beautifully. I know I act a bit of a jerk to other people that I meet but this girl's voice is so mesmerizing. I never heard anything like it before but I wonder who she was? My curiosity got the better of me as I've decided to slowly swim towards her spot. It's so weird that a beautiful girl like her is sitting on this big rock away from other people. I guess she prefers her own sort of privacy herself and that's something I can commend.

The red-haired maiden continued to sing beautifully, not knowing that I was slowly approaching her. She seemed lost in her own little world as she continued to sing out her lovely song. However, her song has been interrupted as she felt someone behind her. Shocked, she turned around and saw me looking at her.

"Hello." I greeted her.

Despite my friendly greeting, she started panicking and immediately tried to escape from me. I was able to quickly grab her hand while pleading for her to stay.

"Please don't leave, miss. I mean you no harm." I said to her.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" The girl asked in fear.

"I'm sorry, miss. I can see that you're afraid of me that I promise I won't harm you. My name is Jin Kisaragi and I came here because I heard you singing from a long distance.

"Y-y-you do?" she asked curiously and nervously.

"Yes. I have to say you have a beautiful singing voice" Jin said as the girl blushed at his compliment.

"T-t-thank you." She said as she looked away from him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"You should have never come to me." She began. "Mermaids and humans should never interact with each other."

"Mermaids? What are you talking about? Mermaids don't exist," I said to her but I soon regretted it as the girl looked upset from my comment.

"Take a look!" The girl said as she shifts her position in the rock, revealing a huge turquoise fishtail on where her legs are supposed to be found. Needless to say, I was shocked!

"Wow… so you are a mermaid! I'm sorry. I didn't realize-" I tried to apologize but only to have my mouth shushed by her fish tail.

"It's fine. Just go away." She said.

I didn't as I wanted to know more about this girl. She seemed so sweet, if not defensive over her. I guess it was my fault for not giving her a good question and offending her that her kind didn't exist. Still, that won't stop me from trying to know more about her.

"I can't. I really love the way you were singing so I want to know more about you." I spoke to her sincerely.

The girl turned around and started to look at me funny before huffing and tackling me close to the edge of the rock. She stared straight at me with a pair of stern eyes. I was getting nervous as I thought she was going to do something horrible to me.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't drown you right now?" She spoke to me in a stern voice tone.

"What are you doing?! Are you seriously trying to kill me!?" I've asked with panic.

"You're way too curious for a human. I'm going to make it clear that your kind and my people can't interact. Your kind eats us and I can't afford to let someone like you know more about me." She glared.

"What kind of a mermaid are you!?" I've exclaimed.

"My people called me the Wings of Justice. If you can't tell from that, I'm actually a soldier from where I live." She replied back.

"A soldier? You're a soldier at a young age, too?" He asked.

The red-haired mermaid looks shocked by this statement and thought, ‘So he's training as well?'

"My lady, I apologize for not believing in mermaids earlier. I only came here when I heard your lovely singing voice. That’s all I want. I have no intention of exposing your identity or that of your people at all let alone eat them." 

We continued to stare down at each other for a while until she finally got off me and moved back to her sitting place. I was able to get back up and recover from that. 

"By the way...", I started to speak while brushing myself off. "I didn't catch your name. Would you be kind to tell me your name?"

The red-haired mermaid sighed and close her eyes as she spoke, "It's Tsubaki. Tsubaki Yayoi."

‘Tsubaki, eh?' I thought to myself. I have to admit that while this girl may have tried to kill me, there's something interesting about her and I can't help but feel that I'm going to like her even more if she allows me to spend more time with her.

"That's a very beautiful name you got there." I honestly told her.

"Well, thanks. You're one of the few who thinks that way. Everyone else makes fun of it due to its meaning." She said while looking away with a small blush and a sad facial expression.

"I think they're missing out. I don't know about them but it's fitting for the right reasons for me. Tsubaki means camellia flowers, right? Your hair is like a lovely red flow waiting for it to bloom." I explained to her.

Needless to say, I think I got her attention as I not only see her face flushing red but she also turned her head around.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsubaki's POV

I couldn't believe this human boy standing right behind me. He's one of the few to actually compliment my hair; the last people that would do that would be my parents. In all honesty, I was hoping that someone would except me for who I am and out of all the people in this world, I didn't expect a human boy to be the one. I faced him after he gave me that compliment and I couldn't help but admire his approach to me. He genuinely feels like he can be a great friend to have but the issue is he's human and I'm a mermaid. Still, I guess I can give him a chance.

"You really mean that?" I've asked him.

"Sure" He responded with a smile. "Think of it like this; Tsubaki means camellia, right? That's red flowers and your hair is red. It's totally fitting for a beautiful girl like you."

Now, that right there did it for me; someone was finally saying good things about me and it really touches me to the core. Maybe this human isn't terrible like the rest but that doesn't mean that I have to let up my guard. Still, I believe it's worth to give him the benefit of doubt.

"Well uh- I don't know what to say. No one has ever thought of me that way before." I said to him.

He looked at me funny, then he was observing my whole entire fishtail. I looked away though in shame as I am not happy with it. You see, I'm not happy with my life as a mermaid; life under the sea sucks and there's barely anything interesting going on here. I joined the justice system of the seas in hopes to find something interesting and to uphold the order of the sea. However, I'm starting to enjoy this boy's company; the way he treats me right now makes me feel comfortable.

Suddenly, he asked me, "Is this your first time on these parts of the sea?

"Eh, no… I've been coming up here on certain days", I answered truthfully.

The boy smiled and say, "so you're familiar with my world?"

"Eh, only certain knowledge of your world. I only wish that I would be able to go further from the sea."

"You hate your heritage as a mermaid?"

It was a surprising question but I slowly nodded my head. Being a mermaid has its perks like moving through the water at any pace you desire, being able to breathe underwater, and being able to sing where your heart desires. I also enjoy my time working as a soldier on the sea and everything is fine but life on the sea isn't all that it seems; it gets boring. The ocean life is rather dull with me moving around with my tail, eating seaweed and fighting sea creatures that can seriously harm others.

"I sure hate my life as a mermaid. The sea is boring and there's nothing here that's very interesting" I told him as I huffed my red hair.

The boy continued to look at me with great curiosity but it eventually got annoying. What was his issue? What, am I weird looking because I'm a mermaid? I mean, yeah, he's a human but what's his problem?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jin's POV

"That's a good question and the answer is simple; you look absolutely stunning," I told the mermaid. Of course, when I said that, she looked flustered and looked away. Then I decided to do something risky…

"Huh? What are you doing?!", the mermaid asked as I grabbed the end of her tail and slightly rubbed it.

"Your tail is so beautiful. It's nice and shiny." I said while continuing to feel how nice her tail can be.

"Beautiful??? Shiny???" I heard her say.

"Yeah, what's wrong? Did no one ever tell you how gorgeous your fins are?" I said while feeling her tail.

"Uhhh…excuse mister?" Tsubaki began.

"Jin Kisaragi is my name," I replied.

"Jin, can you please let go of my tail? It's weird that you have a sort of fetish of fondling my tail" She said.

"Oh, sorry. Never meant to creep you out." I said as I let go of her tail.

"No, that's fine. I'm actually surprised that you would find my tail beautiful." She said while slowly wiggling her tail.

"What? Do other people find it as an issue?"

"Not really. They don't care at all. My people only see mermaid tails as part of a person's body and nothing more."

"Nonsense. I see it as charming, especially the color. It brings a certain uniqueness to you."

"Try telling that to my peers. They don't care."

I can definitely see that this girl is rather dissatisfied with her life. Seeing her cross her arms around her chest while pouting like a spoiled little girl reminds me of the time I kept telling my brother that I wanted to go outside to play and being told no. However, I can't help but notice that she wasn't wearing anything around her chest and looked away in embarrassment; it's not right for me to see a girl that way. Unfortunately, she appears to notice my expression.

"Why are you looking away like that?" She asked in a curious tone.

"It's nothing..." I replied.

"I know you're lying. Is something wrong with me?" She asked in a slightly frustrated tone.

"Eh, it's about your chest-" I started to say but that appeared to give Tsubaki the wrong idea.

"M-m-my chest!?!? So you're saying you're not into a girl like me?!"

"No! You got the wrong idea! Er, well, your chest is...beautiful and all but...er..."

I can't believe a conversation like this is happening. It was not my intention to take it into this direction but apparently, she thinks that I'm swinging it that way and I'm even more grateful that it's covered by her own long hair. However, I can't get it out of my head now that she brought it up; it was very embarrassing, to say the least. As I'm trying to collect my thoughts, I notice her expression softened once more but to an extent.

"Oh? Well, if that's not what you are saying, then what are you trying to say?" She said while slowly fixing her hair and blushing at once.

"I mean, you look beautiful with your hair and your breasts but...I want to know one thing – don't you people ever heard of wearing bras?" I told her. I expected her to accuse me of being perverted but she looked at me with a rather childlike expression.

"Bra? What's a bra?" She asked with curiosity. At that point, I was shocked at hearing that.

"You seriously don't know what a bra is?" I asked her to confirm my fears and she nodded.

"This is the first time I'm hearing something like that. What's a bra supposed to be? Is it like food or is it something fun? By the way, what's that supposed to be?" She asked while pointing at an ocean liner in the distance.

I was extremely shocked that she didn't know all of these things. Granted, she's around the same age as me so it makes sense for her to be confused. I also felt that with her spending a majority of her life underwater, there's a good chance she is unaware of the modern developments of the surface world. However, I have no other choice but to tell her everything about this and so much more.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsubaki's POV

Jin told me everything about what this bra thingie is all about and the more he explained it to me, the more I was beginning to notice two things. The first thing is how old-fashioned and out-of-date my people and I are with the times; while Jin was wearing clothing that I consider being basic which is something I'm used to seeing in the books I studied from the kingdom's library, I was not aware of humankind making constant attempts to advance their means of survival and lifestyle. We always thought they continue to wear simple clothing and continue to follow simpler times. My thoughts went back to the bra Jin was describing to me.

"Oh, so that's what it is," I said.

"Uh, yeah..." He said while looking away. I was confused why he was looking away but it changed when I started to think more into the issue and...I couldn't help but be embarrassed! I had to cover my chest even though my hair is already doing that for me!

"Is this some sort of joke?!" I've practically yelled at him. Jin shook his head and since he's still looking away from me, I can tell he was NOT joking at all!

"I wish it was the case but I couldn't lie even if I wanted to." He told me while still looking away.

That brings me to my second realization; did my people ever knew about the advancements in human technology? Did they try to advance themselves? The more I think about it, the more I am feeling both creepy and rather...happy.  
Now I have this creepy feeling down my neck because if they knew, then I'm afraid we got some perverts who NEGLECTED to provide the vital information in the first place! Are they seriously waiting for the sea winds to actually flip our hairs and show our boobs?! YUCK!!! However, I feel rather happy because I finally found something new for once! I always love to seek knowledge and the fact that there was something new around here is an exciting prospect I'm looking forward to learning! My thoughts were cut off when Jin put his hands under the water; it appears he dropped something.

"What's wrong? What are you looking for?" I asked.

"You'll see," Jin said while he dug his hands deeper into the sea. I didn't know what he was searching for the sea. All of a sudden, he fell in the water and I was immediately panicking. My first instinct was to jump straight into the water until he emerges with a couple of items in his hands.

"Here we go!" He said as he got back on the rock. I took a look at the items with interest until I saw what they were.

"It's a pair of seashells, hooks, and a pearl necklace. So what?" I told him bluntly.

"Well, they are for now. Let me show you what can be done with them." He said as he begins to disassemble the pearl. The big pearl was removed from the other smaller pearls. I was observing what he was doing with interest and saw that he was rearranging those parts slowly. Jin saw me watching him and took the items away from my view much to my annoyance.

"Hey, I want to watch!" I told him annoyed.

"No peeking! I want to make it a surprise!" Jin told me as he continued to work on the materials. I puffed my cheeks in annoyance; who the hell does he think he is? Did he know it was rude to keep girls like me in the dark? Anyways, it took him about 4 minutes until he finally finished.

"Here we are now! Surprise!" Jin exclaimed while showing me his creation; the big pearl was attached between the two seashells while there are two pearl attachments at each seashell with a hook at the end.

"Wow...what is it?" I asked with fascination.

"This is a bra," Jin told me as I continue to look at it with awe.

"So this is what a bra looks like..." I said.

"Well, don't look at it forever. Put it on! See it how it looks on you." Jin said while looking away. I knew he didn't want to intrude on my private parts so I felt obligated to put it on. It took a while to get used to but after a few minutes, I finally got it to clamp it onto my chest without it falling off.

"You can open your eyes now. So how do I look?" I asked him. When he opened his eyes, he appeared to look at me in awe.

"You look...gorgeous." He said.

"R-really?" I stuttered.

"Yes, I do. Anyone who says otherwise would be...idiotic." He said.

My heart was slowly beating when he said this; not many people have ever complimented me like that and to hear this from a human is very enlightening. I started to giggle which confuses Jin.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"You're totally different from the other humans. Humankind would eat us no matter what. Rather than do that to me, you treated me like you would to your own kind." I honestly told him.

"We may be different but I see you as a person, not food," Jin told me with a small frown.

"I'm glad. You know something? I'm happy we met this way." I began to speak before I scoot closer to him. "I thought I would be bored for the rest of my life."

"You'll probably regret that the next day. I'm not what you would call a knowledgeable person," replied Jin.

"If there ever was the next day..." I spoke sadly. Of course, I wasn't surprised when Jin looked at me with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Jin, we're both people but of two different species. You're a human and I'm a mermaid. Our species are sworn enemies; we can't be friends." And that's when Jin bangs his fist to the rock next to me.

"Bullshit. I don't care if you're different from me. I will still see you as my friend…maybe my only true friend." He told me in a stern tone.

"True friend?" I was confused. He had other friends?

"Well, yeah. I mean, they're people I hang with but I never really got close to them. In fact, we only speak for a minute and I would simply walk away. I find them to be pretty annoying given the circumstances. I like to move around and do things on my own."

"That's not good. Having a social lifestyle helps to build bridges with other people who can help you reach places that you don't expect." I told him.

"For example?"

"Well, we're an example right now. I didn't know humanity has made new creations in the last few years and now, I have a young human boy telling me that." 

"Every form of civilization has to improve at some point. It will take a while but usually, it pays off."

"Sounds interesting." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tsubaki's POV

It sounded rather beautiful and adventurous to hear that the humans from the surface well is progressing in their development. Hearing it now makes me wish to do the same in my homeworld but I know there's a good chance my homeland would NOT approve of that and it honestly makes me sad. Now I REALLY wish I was a human and experience the changes it went through myself. It would be a refreshing experience if I was able to walk on land and explore through the land to see all the sights and advancements humanity made. That was a primary reason why I joined the underwater kingdom's Royal Guard; I wanted to do something new for once and after a while, I did enjoy the job but it even has limitations as I've already mentioned that human artifacts are to be destroyed.

However, I also realize that I'm running out of time and I quickly jumped back into the water.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Jin asked me.

"I'm sorry, Jin, but I must return home. If anyone from my kingdom realizes that I've been gone for too long, I might get into trouble and you might be sucked along with it." I told him.

"It can't be that bad."

"You don't understand! If they find out that I was talking to a human, we'll both be in trouble."

"Is there a chance that we might meet again?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible. Goodbye." I sadly spoke before I immediately dived down into the water where I would return to my home. I can feel Jin standing up and looking over on where I went and I can't help but feel sad at leaving behind my first and only friend.

Before I left for good, I swam back to where he was, I immediately pulled him into a nice hard hug and before he could complain, I would kiss him on the cheek and immediately left to the sea where I belong. It's going to be sad not seeing him again but I can't allow my people to find out that a mermaid was making contact with a human and it's even worse that I'm an official officer of my kingdom. Should they ever find out in a small amount of time, I would be labeled as a fugitive and I can't afford to risk that. The worse case scenario would be my people go on a manhunt for Jin so that all traces of our people would be wiped out.

Now that I'm going to be all alone again… Oh, Jin… I'm going to miss you.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jin's POV

I was shocked that she came back and give me a quick kiss in the cheeks. I didn't waste time to turn around and watch the mermaid returned back into her world under the sea. Even though I was surprised that she did that, it still makes me feel better that we part on amicable terms. It's such a shame that she isn't human; it would be wonderful if I get the opportunity to take her out of the sea and show her my hometown. 

With nothing else to see around the ocean, I decided to swim back to shore and return home. My trip to the beach was supposed to be an hour stay but my meeting with Tsubaki turned into a three-hour stay. I wasn't expecting my activity here today to be longer than that but I can't complain as I finally met someone that I can trust. It's a shame that she left the way she did; I wish she would tell me why but I'm sure she has her reasons. On the other hand, I would have made attempts to look for ways for us to communicate despite the difference between us.

The moment I made it to shore, the beach only had a handful of people around and it's a sight I enjoy. Despite being liked by everyone around here, I could never converse with these people. They always talk to me not because I'm just Jin but because I'm the so-called Hero of Ikaruga. Ikaruga was a district that started a rebellion long ago against the government I serve but that rebellion has been quashed quickly.

And now that I made it back home, I'm going to have a good night rest. Well, I should be getting a good night rest and I should be sleeping normally...

But I wasn't…

I find myself inside of a dream and it involved the little mermaid I met today except she was human and she was dressed in a beautiful dancer outfit; it was complete with a simple loincloth, bra, and gold chains around her arms and legs with her hair fashioned in a ponytail. The girl was dancing around the sand that makes contact with her bare feet as she moves her arms and body with graceful agility. Her eyes were closed and she has the most heavenly smile as she moved her body, swaying her beautiful hips.

I ran towards where she was dancing and tried to get her attention. Every time I got closer to her, she would move further and further away until she was at the edge of the ocean. As I finally cornered her at the ocean, she would jump into the water and disappear. I would jump into the water myself if it wasn't for the spot bubbling weirdly. Slowly, I would proceed to the spot until I see the girl emerge from the water, flipping her hair back gracefully  
as she took a deep breath of air. She was no longer wearing her previous outfit as she now had on a dark blue sundress.

Seeing her safely out of the water makes me sigh in relief as I thought she drowned. I moved towards the girl and she looked at me with a heavenly smile. I was about to ask her if she was all right but she suddenly grabbed my head and gave me a deep kiss right then and there. After twenty seconds of the kiss, she pulled out, caressed my face and said, "You must learn how to enjoy life for what it is. Remember that there are people that are willing to care for who you really are even if it's only one person who really sees you for who you are."

I don't know if that was supposed to be some sort of stab at my life but that statement got me thinking; there are other people who really care who I was than what I did? I didn't believe it for a moment as everything in my hometown sees me as the Hero of Ikaruga and not Jin Kisaragi. There are two differences between them and I don't consider myself to be a hero. Tsubai saw me as Jin and not as the Hero. Could this mean that Tsubaki was the only one who truly cared about me? I tried to ask her but by the time I saw her, she was already back to being a mermaid and swam off into the water.

I jolted out of my bed, yelling her name only to find that I was back at my house. It was a weird dream to see the girl I met yesterday telling you what to do with your life. It's a good thing I'm living solo because if I had roommates, they might think I'm crazy. However, after having that dream, I've realized something…

I could be falling in love with a mermaid.

Now, I am no huge fan of the Little Mermaid story but I can't help but feel rather awkward whenever I think about Tsubaki. Her curiosity for the human world makes her look adorable. It was as if she was acting like a young child marveling at the idea of a new toy. However, the conflict is the huge difference between us; I'm a human and she's from a fish-based origin. How will our friendship thrive if we come from two different worlds? Well, whatever the case would be, I intend to seek my answers by any means necessary.

I have decided that it was time for a change. There's no way I'm going to let this slide; I HAVE to meet her again. With no time to waste, I got up to start my day and make preparations to search for her. Now, I wonder if she'll be mad at me for bringing in a fishing rod...

Tsubaki's POV

Thankfully, I was able to return to my grotto without raising suspicions. Phew, that was a close one! I thought this day would be a day of exploration but meeting with a human and live with my life to tell the tale was something I wasn't expecting. My people fear the human race for being fish eaters but meeting up with Jin taught me that apparently, merpeople might have a bit of a leeway due to how similar we look to humans. Well, at least how similar we look from the upper body; humans have legs and lungs while we have a fishtail and gills. Then again, Jin might be the only exception of being a threat to my people as he turns out to be the friendliest human I ever met. Well, he's the ONLY human I ever met but you get the picture. If I ever see him close to the underwater kingdom, I shall spare him of the prejudice from my kind and give him a chance to leave. I would regrettably have to execute him should he ever squander that opportunity and I hope it doesn't come down to that. It's the least I can do for all the good times we've had together.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and that good thing would be this wonderful day. My plan was to stay for the surface for at least two hours before I return to my home and play on my harp; musical instruments including those of the human nature were thankfully not banned under the law of anti-human materials. I don't know why this was the case and I've questioned this decision privately but I went along with it as I didn't want to tempt fate. Ah, how weird it is for mermaids to move around the sea freely yet prohibited from making contact with humans.

As the night came, I put away all of the human goods I have including the new bra Jin made for me. Geez, it feels weird to take it off now but at least I can still cover my chest with my hair. After hiding the goods, I opened my makeshift bed inside of a large clam and jumped into its comfy embrace. Wrapping my body with my blanket made out of seaweed, I closed my eyes as the clam closed itself with me inside, plunging my world into complete darkness and into a deep sleep.

That could've been the end of the story. It SHOULD'VE been the end...but it wasn't.

I couldn't sleep well! My mind was focused on a lot of different things but the most constant one that popped up was Jin himself. It's something I can't really describe but every time I twist and turn in my bed, he would pop in and laugh. It wasn't the type of laugh that would mock you but the one that shows happiness and laughter. Originally, I would see these faces of him laughing but then, I would see more scenes of the time Jin and I had our discussion about our lives and our plans for the future. 

These images have brought some questions in my mind; why were these images popping inside of my mind? Why was Jin the most prominent of them all? Are these images and repeats of my memories trying to convey a message to me? There were more questions I wanted to ask until I saw Jin pop up in front of me. He walked towards me, grabbed my hands, and said, "The answers you're looking for are right in front of you. Don't overthink it. You must evaluate of what you want to do and what you want to be for the rest of your life."

‘What I want to do...for the rest of my life.' I thought to myself. It was there that I remembered something. I was always on a search of what I wanted to do with my life and felt that being a Royal Guard would help me with my search. As much as I love to do law enforcement, it didn't really satisfy my search on my true life's calling. I wanted to search for a good lover and I'm not really having that much luck so far as I think all merman in my kingdom are barbarians. I wanted to learn more about the human world and their culture and today, I did get close to that goal...and it was thanks to Jin. That right there was the one clue I have to help me find the answers to this dilemma.

Before I can ask him more about this, Jin was already far away from me. He was standing in front of a white light where he turned around, waved at me, and then walked through the light. I yelled at him to come back but my world would turn bright as well.

Suddenly, I woke up and realize that I was still in my grotto. I took off the covers and saw that I was still a mermaid. Oh boy...how I really wished that dream lasted longer. My life could've been so much better if my kingdom didn't have these restrictions. Sometimes, I curse reality for being a cruel mistress. Now I must return to my boring life once more...or do I?

Jin told me the people up in his land has the freedom to do what they choose, what they want to be, and where they want to be as long as its legal. Why can't my homeland have something like that? It sounds like a better life to live than to be living under the shadows for what seems like an eternity. This is not the kind of life I want to live; I want to be a part of the life where I'm free to make my own choices and I know who will help me out with this problem.

You know what? I've about had it with this boring life I'm living! With no time to waste, I have decided to take out a small parchment and begin to make plans to see him again – the law regarding humans be damned. I must find out where he lives and find a way to meet him. Looks like you'll be seeing me again, after all, Jin Kisaragi. I hope the next time we meet won't take long.

 

To be continued...


	2. An Aquatic Invitation

**Chapter 2: An Aquatic Invitation**

_Tsubaki's POV_

I did it! After a long time of searching for him, I manage to track him down! How was I able to do it? Well, let me tell you all about it from the top first. I think it would be helpful if I did so everything can be clear.

I have planned to meet him at the beach once more, but I planned out several operations first before I can think about executing the big one. The first operation was a matter of moving to a new home and unfortunately, that means moving away from the kingdom itself. However, I was willing to give it a shot if it will let me see him again. I always thought of finding ways to turn him into a merman but unfortunately, it will bring up suspicions from my kingdom on who he is and they might possibly distrust him. Another negative about this plan was his feelings; I didn't want Jin to become one by forcing him to choose and since I always have dreams of learning more about the human world, I was willing to give up my life in the underwater society in exchange to move closer to him.

For each day, I've spent hours moving key items towards my new home which was located close to the beach where I first met Jin. As for my old home, I realize that to cover my tracks, I would have to regrettably destroy it and make it look like I die in its destruction. It's a choice I didn't like to go through, but I really don't have any other ideas. I had to pull a couple of favors including communicating to some of the sharks, manta rays and dolphins I have protected from previously solved cases and they were more than happy to assist me. The sharks brought in some abandoned mines that pirates used to plant around their islands to protect their loots while the manta rays were able to find some charges to help detonate the bombs.

Before I can even think about placing the charges, the dolphins return to tell me that Jin has revisited the beach again. My heart started to race once more and soon, I got too excited and head off towards the beach at a fast pace. By the time I arrived at the beach, I was shocked and sad to see that Jin has already packed his stuff and made his way towards a weird giant thing where he got in and slowly begin to move out. I quickly swam towards the water, trying to call him out but he didn't hear it. I watched helplessly as I see the thing moves out. I sighed in despair as the thing moves away from the beach and started going over what appears to be a bridge.

I didn't know what possessed me to do it but I chased after the thing Jin was on as it moves across the bridge. I would quickly swim and immediately jump, calling his name out. This continued for about 10 minutes until I almost collided with another boat. That would've been nasty to my forehead if I crashed into the thing. Unfortunately, the thing I was chasing went deeper into dry land and with it, my chance to see him today went down the whirlpool. I punched the water in frustration as I cursed myself for being only able to traverse into the water.

"Crud, I missed him! What was that thing he was riding?!" I asked myself.

However, lady luck appears to be on my side as well. Not far from my position, I hear two men speaking about Jin. Of course, I didn't want to miss out on possible information that can help me so I hid behind one of the boats and listened.

"Hey, wasn't that Jin that drove by?" A tall man spoke.

"It has to be but it is rather odd. Kisaragi always treasures his privacy." replied a smaller man.

"He always keeps his life private. It's a pain for me to deliver his mail under strict limitations but I can't blame him considering how many females always try to get his attention. This would be his fourth time moving under an anonymous address."

This is not the kind of news I was hoping for; I prayed to God that my mission would not be too complicated to execute but now I realize it got harder with Jin's home being under an anonymous location. If that wasn't enough, there are other girls harassing him and that can certainly hamper my plans to get him alone, be closer to him, and have him become my educator and connection of the human world. However, this tall human is a mailman, right? Surely he has something that can help me send a note to Jin?

"I feel sorry for you already. Having to memorize his home location just to drop off a mail to him sounds like a very painful process." The short man said as he was preparing a fishing net.

"Yeah, it's definitely painful but thankfully, I don't have a letter for him right now."

"The post office is very strict on giving out his particular location. It's something I have to memorize. Well, I have to run. I can't be late in those mail deliveries."

There was no way I was going to lose this chance and wait for a few months for summer time. As the man went into his boat and drove away, I decided to follow him and see where he was heading. Now I would have a better time trailing him if it wasn't for the fact that his boat driving sucks an octopus' beak. He was swerving left and right around the sea and it gets very hard to keep up with him. Eventually, he would reach into a small bay where he would park his boat and I sighed in relief but that sigh would be interrupted when my head hit something really hard. I slammed into the boat face first and fell deeper into the water. I lost consciousness for 15 minutes until I hear a motor running to which I hear a boat slowly coming towards me. I saw the boat and quickly tried to move out of the way. I barely made but my tail took a hit and now, I feel rather irritated.

"Hey! Who goes there?" yelled out a voice.

I looked up to the boat and see that it was the same human male who chat with the other shorter man from earlier. I realize that my identity as a mermaid might be at jeopardy since he saw me. I started to panic once more.

"Ah, it's a lovely lady! Sorry there, lady. I didn't know that you were swimming down here. I thought I put up the signs that strictly forbids swimming on this part of the port." He said while scratching the back of his head.

Suddenly, the sense of panic faded away and calmness flushed into my head. He didn't know I was a mermaid and believes I'm one of his fellow humans. Perfect; this will actually help me in the long run. Hey, since he appears to be friendly and is rather dumb, I decided to dig my body deeper into the water to hide my tail and played along with this man.

"Oh, no worries, sir. You didn't hit me too hard." I told him.

"For quite a while? Poor little girl. No worried for I, Bang Shishigami, shall get you to shore!" The man yelled.

"Uh, wait! There's no need for you to do that. I can get back to the beach where I left my stuff." I said with fear. Okay, this guy is rather eccentric, and he appears to be TOO willing to be of much help.

"Nonsense! As a man, it is my duty to aid a lady in need!" the man known as Bang said to me.

"There's no need for that, sir. I can manage on my own but if you want to help me with something, I hope you don't mind me asking you for something." I said, praying that he would take the bait.

"Very well. It's far from my code of conduct to actually act something out from the job but I guess I won't have a problem with this."

"Look, sir, I'm looking for Jin Kisaragi's residence. Do you know where he lives?"

"W-w-w-wait? What? You want Mr. Kisaragi's address?!"

"I do. You see, we met a few days ago and he forgot to give me his address to go out on another date. Anyways, I got a letter that I want to write to him and so far, he hasn't."

"I'm sorry, miss, but I can't give you the address. You see, there are many female individuals that claim to be Major Kisaragi's love interest and have attempted to invade on his private life. I was given strict order NEVER to give his address out under any circumstances."

Inconceivable! I can't believe there are other girls out there that are trying to get into his life through lies. Those hussies better think twice if they think they can muscle into his heart. As for the man, I must try something to get him to speak.

"There must be something I could do to get his residence."

"I'm afraid I must stick to my order, miss. However, I might give it away accidentally if you can solve a problem that I'm currently having."

I knew someone like him might ask me for something, but I already know how this will work; I must do something in return to get what I want. Well, as long as its reasonable, I guess I can work with this.

"Very well, sir. What do you want?" I asked Bang.

"You see, I'm having issues with trying to get the attention of a certain lady in town. You see, I have a thing for her and…well, I don't know how to approach her." Bang said while looking flustered.

It's clear to me that he's trying to ask someone he has an interest in out for a date. Well, it shouldn't be too difficult for a man like him but then again, he is a rather bit TOO eccentric. Still, I might as well give him my advice on what to do and what not to do to get a girl's attention.

"I know what you want, Mr. Shishigami. Here's what you should do." I said as I laid down on how to get her attention, how to treat her fairly and fill him with confidence. For a burly man, he sure asks too many questions, but I simply told him that he needs to be considerate of her feelings, not act rather weird around her, and of course, do nothing distasteful like treating her like property.

"I would do no such thing for any woman I met. I mean, if I did, I would probably be stuck in a cage awaiting trial. No worries, Miss?" Bang asked for my name.

"I'm Tsubaki Yayoi…and I'm happy that you feel this way, Mr. Shishigami." I told him with relief.

"You're one of the few who treated me well this way, Ms. Yayoi. I must admit that I never personally heard of your name before but I'm happy to say that you're not like the other girls who only wanted to get into Mr. Kisaragi's pants."

Okay, if I knew what this meant when I was still dense of human terminology and meanings, I would normally say "I didn't really want to hear that" but of course, since I know what fangirls are, I was slightly stiff to hear that they see Jin as some sort of prize to be won. However, I'm happy that Bang Shishigami didn't class me with those harlots.

"Thanks, I guess," I said while looking at him with a confused look.

"Well, I won't feel bad in giving you his home address as I promised," Bang said as he wrote down the residence.

"Thank you so much, sir. I promise I will keep this between us." I said with a smile.

"I know you won't. My gut is telling me that you're not like any other girls I have met. Now you should leave here before someone catches us. I need to get back to my work." He said as he gave me the note.

"Thank you, Mr. Shishigami. I promise you won't forget it. Farewell!" I said as I immediately dunked my head under the water and swimming away. I can barely hear his distant cries to come back but I can't do it. I can't afford to wait without risking exposing my kind to the humans and I would lose valuable time if I don't hurry in getting an audience with Jin before wintertime comes over. Maybe if I see him again, I will make up to him for my sudden departure but for now, I have a mission that I must complete.

Once I've returned to my new temporary home, I started to make new plans for this momentous occasion. I saw the Dolphins preparing to leave so I stopped them and gave them a bag of some good gold if they need something in the underwater kingdom. Besides, I would not be needing it for much longer as I will start the next phase of my plan. What would that next phase be? I'll reveal more when that time comes.

I was excited that I finally managed to track down his residency but unfortunately, I was too excited to the point where I made costly errors. The first costly error was the lax of proper judgment in my part; I underestimated the location of Jin's home as it's too deep into dry land, so I had to cross off the possibility of meeting him there by water. Of course, I had a backup plan which took me a while to execute and I'll admit it wasn't the best plan ever; I was to write a letter to Jin to ask if we can meet up again in a safe place of my choosing. That's where the second error comes in; I have the means to write a letter with waterproof ink, but I lack the proper paper to write it down. I cursed myself for this mistake and unfortunately, this mistake has cost me a full day, so I had no choice but to wait for the next day to come. I slammed my right fist into the wall out of frustration as sleep consumed me.

_Jin's POV_

It has been a week I've met Tsubaki Yayoi for the first time. It was a meeting I wasn't expecting but it was one that I still remembered as she was like no other person. She was a mermaid…and my meeting with her is starting to have an impact on me. I thought mermaids were fictional creatures and well, her existence is anything but a mere fantasy. On top of that, she's probably one of the very few females I tolerate of ever being around with as she happens to be one of the very few ladies that didn't fawn over my fame when she learned more about my achievements.

I would usually forget about the event altogether and get back to my life of doing my work and enjoying my solitude, but I took the time to return to the beach for a few days. I was hoping that I would get the chance to see her again…especially at the same rock that she was sitting when we first met. Unfortunately, she never came back to the surface in the last few days and I was slowly starting to feel tired. I thought I finally found someone I can relate to in the long term, but it appears to me that either her fear of humanity has returned, or she has completely forgotten about me. It's a shame too since this is my last day before I must return to my job as a cop in the Kagutsuchi Police Department.

Once the afternoon came through, I decided that I had enough of waiting for her to show up, so I started to pack up my stuff and return home. I was rather disappointed as I prepared a small dish for her to try out. I know how she feels about my world, so I thought making a quick meal would help her get acquainted. Looks like I put my hopes a little too high for that. I think she would have enjoyed them jumping out of the water and diving back in as they swim away. I watched them closely before I finally start to put my stuff in my car and begin to drive away begin to head out.

I spent the whole day thinking about Tsubaki and how I should meet her again. Maybe when I have enough free time, I will take the extra step to make it happen. If only I had a personal boat to use. That would be awesome to have and very useful. too. I do have a good amount of money in my personal bank account, but I want to be careful about spending sprees. Well, it looks like I have my first task but I need to create some criterion, so I can plan things out accordingly.

_Tsubaki´s POV_

Today is a new day and what a way to start the day than to start getting some parchment to write a letter to Jin for a meetup. I was fortunate to have a set of waterproof pens in my collection. It's a good thing I keep these pens in my new hideout which…I won't even use for a long time. However, time is still running and I have to make my way out of here and search for some paper. As I left my lair, I realize that I must return to the human world briefly and seek out Mr. Shishigami's aid once again. He is the only human outside of Jin that I have contact with and after sleeping on it last night, I decided that it would be worthwhile to keep connections with him.

My first stop was towards the old restricted area where I met Mr. Shishigami. I know he said to never return to that area again, but I wish to see him once more time if he's available. Much to my dismay, he doesn't appear to be present at all. I waited for a couple of minutes to see if he's around but he didn't come. I can't afford to waste any more time so I decided to make my way towards the beach where I could find another possible candidate.

The beach was rather empty by the time I have arrived in its vicinity. There were barely any people around playing in the sand and having a tan. Suddenly, I was beginning to have thoughts of Jin possibly coming down to the sand if he had time, but I realize it was wishful thinking. I can't keep having these wild thoughts that only gives me false hope. It was great while it lasted, but what I want the most are results to actually make it happen.

Examining the landscape of the beach, I see that there was only one person there that could help me; a raven-haired woman dressed in a white swimsuit. She appears to be having a tan on the beach and having a good time. Seeing her alone on the beach reminds me of the current season. I do not have much time to waste on finding Jin before the season changes. Once autumn comes, the beach will be human free and it will make my job harder. This woman is not my first pick, but I guess she will have to do. I started to call for her attention.

"Hey, you!" I yelled at her.

The woman removed her sunglasses and begin looking around. I got her attention, but I have to bank on it.

"Hey, I'm down here!" I continued to yell.

The Asian woman turned her head around until she saw me. The woman made her way down to where I was.

"Hello there, young lady. Were you the one to call for me?" The woman asked.

"Yes, Miss. I want to ask if you have some papers that I can write a letter to someone. I really need to get this done as soon as possible." I told her.

"Paper? I don't believe I have any. Give me a moment to see if I have one ready." The lady spoke as she begins to go through her red purse. After two minutes, she took out a parchment.

"Ah. Here we are! I got some papers that you need. Take all you want!" The woman said as she gave them to me.

"Oh, thank you. You're very kind." I said as I bowed to her.

"Say, you don't look familiar. Are you new here?" The lady asked me, causing me to be nervous.

"Eh, I just moved here," I said to her. It wasn't a complete lie; I did, in fact, moved here not too long ago, but I made sure I sound human as I possibly can.

"Really? Where do you live then?" She said.

Okay, that question really got me stumped. I really have no residency so I really have a rough time answering this question. I had to quickly come up with an answer so I would not expose myself.

"I live on an island not too far from here. I am currently looking for a new place to live." I told her.

"Oh? Why live on an island?"

"I don't know where to move next. Besides, I love to be alone for most of the time."

"Ah, so you are looking for a new place where you have more solitude and quietness, right?"

"Yes. It's something I enjoy."

"Well, I hope you find your quiet place and solitude."

"Thank you. Anyways, I really need to go. I need to write a letter to someone. See you!"

I took no time to swim away and make my way to another location to write my letter quickly. However, what I didn't realize right then and there was that the lady decided to follow me…

_Jin's POV_

That was another case I have managed to complete in my department. My superior is pleased with my performance and my colleagues decided to celebrate my recent success. I didn't want any part of it so I was pleased when I was given leave for the day. Jesus, I am tired of this repetitive lifestyle where people keep kissing my ass. I mean, come on now.

So here I am back in my home, drinking a cup of tea to soothe my heart and soul. In fact, I have been doing this constantly as I was trying to think back at the time I met Tsubaki...or at least, I think I did.

I mean, what if it was all part of my head? What if she wasn't real and she was only a vision I saw? A weird dream within a dream? I feel so confused about this scenario that I don't know what to believe anymore.

Our first meeting was so real. I touched her and felt her, but in these last few days, I couldn't see her again. I am afraid to tell someone else as I don't want my mind to be questioned. Like who would believe that a mermaid actually exists? My people will think of the thought as absurd.

Okay, Jin. You need to calm down and recollect your feelings. Think of other things to help you get out of this dilemma and not lose yourself. Focus on what must be done.

Tsubaki's POV

My heart fluttered as I write down my letter and continue to daydream of our next meeting. However, I didn't spend too much time doing that; I'm still on the clock and work still needs to be done. Once I am done with this letter, I will go to the post office and send it out. I hope Mr. Shishigami is available this time; he was a great help last time and I wish to meet him once more.

It only took me thirty minutes to pen every one of my thoughts down and where should we meet up. For this moment, I want us to meet up at an island that's a few miles away from human civilization; it's mostly barren but it does have a private beach and I figured with only the two of us there, we can have some more fun going around. Oh, it is quite the ideal place for a beautiful date.

Once the letter was all set and done, jumped from the rock I was sitting on and made my way to the post office. The trip wasn't worth it as Mr. Shishigami wasn't around as I hoped he would. Well, there goes my plan to get the letter delivered today and I can't afford to come tomorrow. I have to get busy with moving my stuff. Suddenly, I felt a pair of hands grabbed me and dragged me away from the post office. I tried to break away from my captor, but I had no luck in escaping. I screamed at the person to let me go or else he/she will drown.

"You need to relax and hear me out, Ms. Mermaid. I think you will find my words to be important." I heard her say.

I gasped in shocked and surprise as I realize that my cover was blown; a human has caught me off guard.

"How do I know you are being truthful?", I asked her.

"You're not the first one to come to these parts." She told me.

"What do you mean?"

"There were a couple of others before you that came here in the past. You're not the first of your kind to come to this town."

"How do you know?"

"I've been here for ten years. On top of that, you might want to turn around and have a good look at me."

Even though I was skeptical, I did as she said and she didn't look different to me. The woman had her usual ponytail, her white bra, and her glasses which looked normal to me. However, when I looked further down is when I became further shocked; her legs are replaced with a glorious long red fishtail.

"You're a mermaid too?" I asked.

"Yes, or at least I used to be a mermaid." She told me.

"Used to be? What do you mean?"

"Well, given you are wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard, how do I know I can trust you? Have you come to take me back?"

"What?! No!!! That's not it. You see, there is more to me being here than you realize."

I begin to explain to the woman about my life; I talked about how I got bored in my own world, use the loopholes in our laws to possess human items and how I met Jin and wanted to meet him again. She closed her eyes in deep thought before a smile appeared on her face.

"So you say that you want to see him again because you want to learn more about the human world?" She asked me.

"Well, yes," I replied back.

"I think the real reason you want to see him again is that you love him."

"Well, I- Huh?! What?!"

"I think you are doing this because you actually love him."

"L-love him?!"

"Yes. You seem to be smitten with him that you're willing to give everything up so you can be closer to him"

My face was slowly turning red from her statement. No. That's ridiculous. I would never think about being with Jin. When I first met him, all I can think about.

"Nonononono! That's not true at all!"

"Not true, huh? Your face is matching your hair color!"

"No, it's not. It's just that you surprised me with such a question"

"Surprised you, eh?"

"Well, sure," I said and I was honest about that; I don't believe that I have a crush on Jin. I only saw him as a means to an end to achieve my goal. I mean, a mermaid loving a human? That's crazy.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you're surprised to me. I want to know what's your real reason for being on the surface." She asked me.

"I'm here to deliver a letter to him. Normally, I would ask someone else to do it, but he's not available now."

"A letter? Well, all you have to do is ask. I'll be glad to deliver this letter on your behalf."

My heart fluttered with hope when she volunteered for the task in my stead. I asked her to be certain, "You're really going to do that for me?"

"I will deliver this letter as long as you tell no one about my whereabouts," She said. That was all I needed to hear before I went to hug her and give her the letter.

"Thank you so much. I promise I will not compromise your new life.", I said to her.

"I really don't want to go back to the underwater kingdom. Life is very slow and stressful in that place." She sighed.

Suddenly, we heard motor buzzing and noises of men shouting in glee. The woman slowly peeked at the surface and immediately went back to me.

"The mailmen are coming back from their rounds. You need to head on back home before they catch you." She told me.

"What about you? How will you get back?" I asked her.

"I run a clinical business not too far from here. There's an abandoned warehouse that I can swim to and get back. You should swim back through the cave behind me and reach deeper into the sea. I will take this letter once I reached the surface and send it to the closest mailbox."

"Thank you for the help, dear lady. I'll never forget about what you did for me today." I said to her with gratitude.

"I'm happy to help. My name is Miss Litchi, by the way. Now, I believe we should split up before we're caught like this. Wouldn't you agree?" The lady now known as Miss Litchi said to me.

"I see your point. Thanks for the help, Miss Litchi. I won't forget about this favor!" I said to her as I swim back home.

"Good luck, young mermaid. I hope you find what you're looking for." Miss Litchi said as I felt her swim away to where she came from; maybe I should consider keeping her in my list of contacts.

On the other hand, I can't believe that it's happening. I'm only one step closer to seeing Jin again and it's going to happen soon! Oh, I can't wait to take part in some of the activity! I can imagine us having some tea and biscuits together...if that's what they're called in the books I've been reading. Maybe he can teach me or at least show me more books I can read from; I always love to learn more about Calculus. Pre-Calculus has piqued my interest and me always to know more about the knowledge of these greater mathematical equations.

Oh dear, it appears I've been daydreaming too much. I am only starting to realize that the sun is finally setting. I wonder how long I've been standing here? Anyways, it doesn't matter much to me; I'm heading home with my head up high and hoping things are working out. Now that the letter is being sent, all I must do now is wait until he receives it. I hope it would not take long…

Wait a minute, I forgot to question Miss Litchi on how she became human!

A few months later...

_Tsubaki´s POV_

My attempts to meet up with Jin for a second time before winter has failed. When the snow came along with the season, my methods of transportation has been limited and I became very upset from this development. I have waited in my underwater cavern for a sign that he read my letter and hoped that he would come as the autumn came along and yet, there was no sign of him. Not even my associates were a big help but allow me to explain it all from the top.

For the last two months, I've made frequent visits to the beach and the port to see if Mr. Shishigami and Miss Litchi were around. Halfway through the first month, I've discovered the beach has finally been shut down until next year in summer. That means that will be harder for me to communicate with Miss Litchi since no one is allowed on the beach. The post was out of the question as Mr. Shishigami decided to take a vacation during the winter so that option is out.

Speaking of winter, I couldn't get to the surface to check back because the humans decided to use it as an ice rink. I can see humans moving around on top of the ice with these weird things at the bottom of their foot. It's like they're using them to move around the icy floor. I was curious enough to check my books and discover that what they're doing is ice-skating around the floor. This form of ice skating is an old traditional way to move around the ice and it was said to be a source of entertainment as well. Despite that, it appears to maintain its position as a fun activity to this day.

The only thing I can do is release a sigh of the misfortune I´m having; not only am I stuck underneath this ice, but I can't find a way to make contact with the surface. Even the post office is closed off due to the ice disrupting the workforce. This was a result that I knew and one that has me sighing due to the lack of progress.

Due to these circumstances, I'm pretty much on my own inside of this desolate cave. All of the sea critters who worked for me with the relocation, the plans, and means of communication have all left. They had already been paid for their services and have returned to their home and families a month earlier to prepare for the winter storm that came and right before I know it, this part of the ocean is barebones. There are still a few fishes here and there, but I'm still alone in this regard...

My gut feeling is now slowly declining in overall feeling and I'm starting to become hopeless. I thought the letter I sent would finally make its way to Jin´s residency but it has been months since I last saw him and right now, there´s no sign of him coming. I stayed at the same rock where we met for the last few months but…I see nothing. I keep praying every night that Jin read my letter and now, I don't see him around here at all. I gave out one last sigh as I chose to leave the frozen beach. That's when I decided that I will make plans to relocate my home into another area.

Why did I waste my time destroying my own home now?

_Jin's POV_

I had a recently finished my shift and the one thing I didn't expect is a letter inside my mailbox. Quite frankly, I didn't want to read it for two reasons; I made it perfectly clear to the post office that I don't want to even receive single letter since I keep getting shit from those crazy fangirls. The second reason is the fact that the post office is closed due to the weather. Either way, this letter feels different since it's clear that it was drenched in water during the delivery. Either it was a drunken postal worker who accidentally dropped it in water or whoever delivered it here had an issue with the weather. I examined the letter closely and I was ready to toss it away...

That all changed when I saw one name that changed it all. Tsubaki Yayoi -- the mermaid I met earlier this year. So it wasn't a dream after all.

I wasted no time in opening the letter and began to read it. The letter Tsubaki wrote explained that she couldn't forget about the time we first met and that she finds the moment memorable that she wants to see me again. It was not a date as she stated in the letter but a meeting to catch up with our lives. She said she understands if I don't wish to come as she knew about how much I hate fangirls and too much attention but instructed me to go to an island she pinpointed if I choose to see her again. It was a location she was living close to for a while and would have daily swims there every day to maintain her health. Her signature was there along with a piece of her fish scales and a small pink flower on the letter.

I stood there in silence as I took in the fact that Tsubaki has changed her mind. She wanted to see me again and in a place far away from civilization. I was ready to throw the letter until I notice the date of the letter. It was written since September and we're already in February. I was starting to get concerned since this letter came to me late and the chances of meeting her appear to be low. I silently cursed the post office and decided to visit the place later to give them a piece of my mind of delivering late letters...

There's a bit of a conflict going on in my mind; this meeting has a chance of not happening since it was made long ago. On the other hand, I want to take the gamble since I always have these dreams about Tsubaki. Some of them are really interesting since Tsubaki appeared as a human alongside with me while others are rather...awkward given the weird nature of them...namely, Tsubaki becoming my wife and offering herself to me in a rather sexual way. Of course, I know Tsubaki is not one to act slutty despite us meeting for one time so I didn't take it at face value.

Despite that, I made my decision. I'm going to meet her when the condition got better. It's time for an overdue visit and I can't afford to get my life.

_Tsubaki's POV_

It was finally springtime and I am very sad. This was the loneliest winter I've ever got through. Well, I've always been lonely before, but this time around, this winter felt the worst one I had to endure. Not being able to surface really stinks and I didn't get a chance to have a hands-on experience with touching and feeling the snow. By the time I did, it had already turned into ice. What a shame.

I lost all hope with making contact with Jin. At this point, I became tired with my plans not happening. They all backfired in my face from what I'm seeing. It was here I decided I didn't really care anymore. I swam out of my cave and decided to go for a quick swim. I'll revisit the island one more time before I start to move to another place for me to live. Well, if I ever bothered to get through with it. Oh, Jin…

_Jin's POV_

It is time for our reunion. I got my private little boat ready for the trip to the island. It was tricky getting attention away from the people off of my back, but it was trickier to get this boat away from the masses who were being pushy and trying to invite themselves on this trip. I have no intention of being bothered during a personal commitment. It took me a while to lose them so I decided to find an area where they can't find me. The beach is out of the question so I decided to drive off course and find a sandy area with no human presence. Without wasting any time, I parked my car in a secure area and prepared to have my boat ready.

Thirty minutes was all I took to get the boat to the sea and then I would drive off and look for the island based on the instructions that Tsubaki has given me in her note. It didn't take long to find it in the distance. However, as I drive closer to the island, I was beginning to recognize a figure not far from my position. Taking out my binoculars, I saw that the person in question is Tsubaki! What shocked me the most was that she looked dead, her face was sad, her eyes looked like she hasn't got a good rest, and her hair looks all frizzled and messy. I don't know why she looked this way but it didn't matter. I have to help her somehow.

_Tsubaki´s POV_

Here I am on my last visit and it was time to say goodbye to this place. I really wanted to come here with Jin but...that's not going to happen anytime soon or ever for that matter. Well then, I might as well make the most of it and start my last swim here...or at least tried to do that.

Before I can start swimming, a small hook dropped in front of me. It had a bait, but the choice is rather odd; it was a small sandwich. Normally, I would fear this hook but now, I didn't care anymore. All I want is to see Jin again and if I can't, then I rather die. Having said that, I did the one thing no smart fish should ever do; I bite the bait along with the hook and closed my eyes, waiting for the rod to pull me up and take me to my doom. However, after a long period of time, it never happened. I became rather perplexed about this action. On the other hand, I was rather hungry so I'm sure the fisherman didn't mind if I took the bait. I took the whole small sandwich and eat it whole. Now that I tasted it, it's not that bad.

The hook would leave my sight and I thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn't! A few seconds later, the same hook came down with another piece of sandwich in front of me. So, without a care in the world, I took it and bit it for myself. The weird part is when I took the sandwich, I did it in a rushed way. That should have alerted the fisherman to pull up if there was a tug from the rod, but this fisherman didn't take that chance. What's going on here?

The fishing hook came back a few seconds later but this time, there was a piece of paper in the hook. I took the paper away and read the contents. It said, "I know who you are and I'm glad that you're okay. I'm sorry it took so long to meet you but now I have returned as I have noticed. Now try to follow me if you can!" Without warning, the boat started to move away from me and I stood there confused than ever before. Did he meet me before? When and where? I eventually got fed up with this riddle nonsense until it finally hit me.

"J-jin? Is that you?" I asked myself as I see the boat moving further and further away from me. I realize that this was my cue and so I quickly raced towards the boat's direction. I jumped out of the water and yelled for him to slow down and wait for me. He didn't stop for some reason and it makes me wonder where we are going. I hope it isn't a trap.

_Jin's POV_

I finally got Tsubaki's attention, but I really need to get her far away from this place as I possibly can. There are other fishing boats around here and I can't risk her getting caught and speared by other humans. I tried to move farther and farther away from the town and I could see her chasing after my boat. With little time to waste, I decided to ride the boat closer to the island that she explained in her letter and I wasted no time to find a good place to park my ride. Well, here she comes.

_Tsubaki's POV_

The boat stopped a few feet away from the island, allowing me to catch up. As I got close to it, I swam around the boat to make certain that there's nothing about it that can harm me in any way. When it was finally safe, I swim deep to build some speed and quickly thrust myself out of the water and onto the boat. Ironically, I was able to land in a good place to sit on the boat and boy, I was in a good position because I landed in front of the man I've wanting to see.

There was Jin standing there in all of his glory. Clad in a white shirt, black pants, and that beautiful blond hair, he looked hot. My heart was beating at a fast rate.

"Jin," I whispered.

"Tsubaki…" He replied. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I jumped and embraced him in a tight hug.

"Jin! You're back! It's been so long. I thought I would never see you again." I said to  
him as I sobbed on his shirt.

"Sorry, it took so long, Tsubaki. So many things stupid things happen in my life, but I'm finally here." He said as he rubbed my head.

I thought it was a dream, but it wasn't. This is all real and I'm not going to take it for granted. This is not how I wanted it all to happen, but I'll take it. Everything is fine with me...well, it should be fine with me. However, I saw Jin holding the same fishing rod that I saw earlier with the small sandwich. My dangerous sense of curiosity kicked in upon seeing it.

"Jin, why do you have a fishing rod?" I asked him carefully.

"Oh, this?" He began speaking as he held it up. "I decided to use it to search for you or at least get your attention which I did. Besides, isn't fishing really fun?"

What??? So….you mean to tell me he was using that thing to search for me and fish me out… He's using a GODFORSAKEN fishing rod to find me after all these months that passed by when he could've found other means to swim down and try to find me while I was making plans… He could've found other ways to find me and this is the best he can do? Are you...serious??? What the fu-

_Jin's POV_

Tsubaki seemed speechless when I told her of using my fishing rod. At first, I thought she seemed touched about the idea but that was proven wrong when she whipped her hand across my right cheek, resulting in a loud SMACK noise. When I looked back at her, her face was slowly matching the color of her hair. It's clear to me that using a fishing rod to nab her was not the best decision.

"A fishing rod!? REALLY NOW!? That's the best you can come up with to find me? A fishing rod? Meanwhile, I was demolishing my home, setting it up to look like I have died in its blast, waited all winter long, and all you ever did to look for me was a fishing rod!?" She yelled at me.

"Hey, I don't know where you live. I only met you for a day a few months ago. You didn't tell me much because you were afraid that your kind will punish you for making contact with someone like me." I defensively said.

"You are riding on a boat! You had a way to find me and what did you do instead? Go fishing for me when I said that I will meet you at the same spot where we first met! I mean, what if you hurt me with the hook?"

Damn it, I honestly forgot about that. I forgot that even though she had an upper human body, she was still a native of the sea. With no answer to give her, I looked down in shame. Tsubaki didn't waste any time to push me down to the floor of the boat and slammed her tail over me. She sat over me as she begins to make herself at home...in my own private boat.

"Well, since you obviously didn't consider my feelings properly, I am going to sit here until I feel like you're ready to stand again." She said in a huff.

"Hey, get off!" I yelled at her.

"No, I won't. Now lie down for a moment. I'm going to see what you got here." She said as she begins to rummage through my stuff. I tried to break out but her tail is rather heavy and it didn't help that her slamming down her tail onto my waist REALLY hurts.

"Hey! That hurts." I yelled at her.

Of course, she continues to ignore me while looking through my stuff. Like what the hell is she doing? She grabbing each of my belongings one by one and tossing them away like trash.

"Can you please take care not to make a mess out of my stuff?" I told her off.

"Shut up. You brought this to yourself. Now then, what is this?" She asked as she brought up my bottle of soda.

"That's called a soda. It's a nice drink and you're holding it! Can you please put it back?" I demanded before Tsubaki lifted her tail and slammed my back once more.

"A drink, you say? This must be good then." She said as she unscrewed the bottle top and took a big gulp. However, her eyes widen and immediately spit out the drink from her mouth. The mermaid begins coughing before she glared at me.

"You call that a nice drink? It's disgusting!" She coughed at me. If I had any guess, I think it has to do with our body structure. I believe her gills reacted badly to the soda; her body values water the most.

With Tsubaki reeling a bit from the soda, I was able to squirm out from under her tail. Geez, how many pounds does she weigh? Seeing her breathing heavily from the soda, I decided to take out a water bottle from my other container and slowly pour it around her. Thankfully, Tsubaki's coughing simmered down so I was glad to know that I was doing something right. I brought more water bottles out and slowly pour the around her face and tail. To improve the chances of calming her down, I decided to rub her back slowly with water.

"Oh. Ooohh..." Tsubaki moaned, as her mood completely changes.

I don't know what I did to make her feel that way but it's helping her calm down from her early outburst due to my stupidity. My hands continued to rub her shoulders and she continued to moan slowly from the small massage.

"Mmm… Jin, what are...you...doing? Unh..." Tsubaki started to moan. "Mmmm… oh yeah… Mmm… MMMM!!!"

What the hell is going on? Is that her weakness? Is Tsubaki content with massages so much that she suddenly become tame once more? This has got to be one of the most awkward things I've learned. However, I didn't want to risk pissing her off again so I've decided to massage both shoulders to keep her anger down. With enough time, I managed to massage her long enough to slowly move from under her tail.

_Tsubaki's POV_

Well, this is quite a position I got myself into; Jin surprised me by rubbing my arms and shoulders. I guess I should admit that I always have a thing for a male lover giving body rubs to his mate. Ever since I was a teenager, I would always witness other mermaids getting their back and neck rubbed by their boyfriends. It was a sight that I always loved to see and quite honestly, it was something that I hoped happened to me. Oddly enough, a human boy managed to fill one of the desires I was denied in the past and I am going to make the most of this moment.

"Mmm… much better." I said with a smile.

I kept my eyes closed as my back was still being rubbed. Jin was starting to get a little rougher with his way of massaging my back, but I was okay with it. After all, there's nothing better than a little force in back rubs, right? When he got too far away from my sweet spot on my back, I instinctively whine.

"Oh no no, dear. A little to the upper right." I told JIn.

Jin was able to correct this mistake and massage that nice sweet spot of mine. I can't believe I'm acting like a catfish. Looking back at it, I feel like I was high on that powdery substance some crooked merman would take in my past shifts. This massage feels so good that I was beginning to forget everything else. Suddenly, he made a mistake by accidentally causing my bra to pop out, revealing my breasts. Panic was suddenly entering his face,

"O-o-oooh my! S-sorry, Tsubaki. I didn't mean to do that!" He said while waving his arms.

I don't know what possessed me at the time, but I decided to let it slide since I was feeling good. Truth be told, I'm kind of glad this sort of thing happens because it shows me more about his character. If he wanted to, he could have grabbed my breasts and take advantage of the situation, but he didn't do that. He continues to show that he treats a girl like me as a human being or rather, a person. However, I decided not to hide my breasts. Instead, I grabbed him, slowly lie him down next to me and coo while I rubbed my head against his neck.

"Eh, Tsubaki, what are you doing?" He asked me while his face matched the color of my hair.

"I want you to keep rubbing my back, okay?" I told him. "Massage me. Treat me with care."

"That was good, Jin. However, I want to try something." I said.

"What would that be?" He asked me.

It was so sudden, but I grabbed his hands and put them on my breasts. Jin has this shocked look in my face as panic was returning to his face.

"It's okay, Jin. This is my choice. I...I want to know what's it like. Please bear with me." I told him.

Jin didn't seem so certain, but when I guided his hands and encouraged him to rub my breasts, he relaxed a bit. So how was it? It was pretty interesting. I felt dirty at first since I know it's a very naughty thing to do...but Jin, he treated me like I'm royalty. As he was rubbing my breasts, he asked from time to time if I was all right and how I was feeling. I felt great when he did that; it gave me a sense of security and I loved it. I would encourage him to squeeze them and playing around with my boobs and that's when I felt like I went to heaven.

After twenty minutes, my dreamy stature dissolved and I returned to reality. Immediately, I broke out of his heavenly touch backed away from him a bit. The sense of security I was having was now a sense of dread and it was not directed to Jin. It was directed to what was going on with me. What was happening to me? I was encouraging him to do lewd things and now I feel confused. Normally, I would be against this, but why did I allow it now?

"What's wrong, Tsubaki?" Jin asked me.

"It's nothing, Jin. I didn't know what came over me when I made that decision to keep my chest out in the open. I'm confused about it." I told him while looking away.

"It's okay, Tsubaki. It will be our little secret. I won't tell anyone about it." He spoke to me with a smile.

"Thank you, Jin, but the very thought of it scared me," I told him as I looked away.

"Here, Tsubaki. I will help you take those thoughts away." He told me as he lifted my body and brought me to an area for me to sit on.

It was here where Jin and I would spend most of our day. He was considerate enough to bring some lunch with more sandwiches and these things called dumplings while I was given both water and tea as beverages. The water was there to help me stay wet and active without going to the sea, but the tea he had was something I wanted to try. Let's just say that it was one of the best things I ever tasted and it's definitely better than that disgusting soda that caused my gills to react badly. The dumplings weren't bad either and I think I'm starting to like this confectionary called pork that was inside. Then again, this was my first time eating meat in my life and I can't believe I'm enjoying it.

Food aside, we were exchanging current events in our lives. Well, my story wasn't that great since I told him that I wanted to meet him and I couldn't take my mind off of our last meeting. He was surprised when I told him that I blew up my old home and wanted to see him one more time. On the other hand, Jin didn't seem very well about his personal life. He still hated his fame and managed to get a lucky break with this one week vacation he has been requesting for weeks. The only reason why he didn't quit was that he enjoyed this job and it was something he was good at doing. Thankfully, I remembered not to rat out Mr. Shishigami and Miss Litchi as he was grumbling something about ‘shitty' mail. Don't know why he resorts to this sort of language.

It felt like an eternity, but I looked towards the distance to see the sunset and realize that our time is about to come to an end. It felt so short and I was hoping to spend more time with him. I guess it's better than nothing.

"Well, nightfall is about to come, Jin. I guess this is goodbye once more.", I sighed.

"For now." He replied.

"I'm not sure when you'll be back. I know you have a tight schedule given the word on the streets saying that you're very secretive."

"How do you know I'm that secretive?"

"I heard your people talking about how you cherish your private life and given how we're still two separate worlds apart, I can imagine how difficult it will be for us to communicate once you leave."

"Tsubaki, I'm coming back tomorrow."

"That will be a long time-wait, what?" I stopped myself after hearing his words.

"You heard me. I'm stopping by tomorrow to pick you up." Jin spoke.

"W-w-wait! Pick me up? Jin, what are you planning to do?"

"I want to take you home with me."

Wait, is this guy serious? Does he want to bring me to his home? I mean I'm flattered that he is being considerate but I think he's forgetting a couple of crucial details on the MAJOR differences between us. It's either he's being too clever for his own good or he is being ignorant to the facts.

"Jin, you can't be serious about this! Bringing me over to the human world is not a good idea." I exclaimed.

"I'm very serious, Tsubaki. I've been thinking about this very hard as of late and I think the only way for you to get what you want is to come over to my place."

"Look, I'm grateful that you're giving me this opportunity but there's no way this can be a thing. How are you going to bring me over there? In your car? Good idea if it wasn't for the windows!"

"Not only the car. I got a basket ready to carry you over." Jin said with a funny smile. However, I wasn't laughing.

"This better not be one of your distasteful fish jokes or I'm leaving right now." I glared at him.

"Tsubaki, I know this plan is a bit ludicrous but it's the only way. I planned it all out. Hear me out." He pleaded with me.

Initially, I was against hearing his case out since I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of me being brought to his home and risk revealing the existence of my kind. I changed my mind when I realized that he had a stern look on his face and that tells me he is not goofing off; he is very serious about this. To be honest, I'm glad this actually happened and that he is taking this very seriously. It also helps out with my plans to learn more about the human world and maybe something more.

"Okay, Jin. Tell me more about your plan." I said.

"Here's the idea. This basket should be big enough for you to fit in comfortably. I would park my car behind the beach and carry you to the back." He told me.

"So I'll be in the basket for God knows how long."

"It will only be for an hour."

"An hour?! I can't remain still for an hour! What if I want to stretch my back and tail?! On top of that, I need water!"

"Not to worry. I already got more water bottles prepared. Now before you try hitting me, understand that this is the best I can do for you."

"Water bottles? Are you crazy?!?! That's it. I'm leaving. Good day, Jin. Thanks for nothing!" I huffed and prepared to leave before Jin grabbed my hand and glared at me.

"If you'll just give me a damn second, I can tell you everything." He said in a stern voice.

"...Fine. No more funny business though."

"Here's how it goes. In the basket, I need you to masquerade as a giant fish I caught for an hour. I'll provide water so you can remain wet. We can't have you choking if you dry up. If you can do that, I'll show you everything that's in human life. I'll be your host for the day."

"Sounds fair enough."

"However, I will toss you out the minute you start to bitch and complain." He said, causing me to gasp and glare at him for his disrespectful declaration.

"How dare you think of doing that to me!" I yelled at him.

"And how dare you for giving me a self-entitled speech when I'm trying to come up with solutions. Either way, those are the best options I can possibly think of and I'm ready to give you the time of your life."

Frustration aside, I thought more about the proposal. In all honesty, it sounds ludicrous; I would look silly being stuffed inside a basket with barely any space to see anything. On the other hand, I get to finally visit his home and that's something I'm definitely looking forward to when I accept this agreement. Besides, I can always have some vengeance if things don't work out well. Speaking of vengeance, I'll be giving him a piece of my mind tomorrow once we reach his home. I'll have my revenge for even thinking about threatening to throw me out of his car. Just you wait!

"Very well, Jin. I shall take you up on your offer." I said while mentally snickering the image of my tail slapping his face over and over again.

"Great! All you have to do is meet me here tomorrow morning!" HE said excitedly.

"Like sunrise?"

"Sunrise is good with me."

"Then I shall see you on sunrise," I said to him. I prepared to jumped back into the sea but he suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Wait, before you go, I want you to have this." He said as he gave me two golden circular objects.

"Wow," I began while staring at the objects with awe. "What is it?"

"Those are hairpin. I know how much you're interested in human artifacts and so I decided to give you this. These things enable you to hook your hair in different styles. Basically, giving you a different look."

"Ah, reminds me of some of the shells and crowns some of my people wear back in the kingdom. I said when I was about to put it on until he stopped me.

"I know I'm asking too much, but surprise me with a hairstyle tomorrow. I want you to look at your absolute best and I know you always do your best." He asked me.

I didn't know why he was asking this, but I decided to agree with his terms. Sadly, it was time for me to head out now. This time around, it was Jin who hugged me and bid me farewell.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tsubaki. Take care when you get home." Jin said as he snuggled against my head.

"Thank you, Jin. I'll return in the morning. Get home safely." I bid him my farewell as he released me so I can return home. I jumped back into the sea, but not before hearing one last statement from him before he drives his boat back to his homeland.

"Come back to me safely, mermaid princess."

I can't believe he actually said that. He called me his mermaid princess. A strange warmth started to build up inside of me and soon, I found my face to be flustered before I scurried back to my cave and begin my night of beauty sleep.

_JIn's POV_

I can't believe I said that. I didn't know what the hell was going on with me. No, actually, I do know what's going with me. I didn't realize it during the first meeting, but I can't put these feelings off any further.

I am actually in love with Tsubaki Yayoi. However, this realization is a bit of a mixed bag.

For the record, this isn't some cliche fantasy story where the guy and girl feel like they're destined to be together and live happily ever after. This is really setting in and what makes reality awkward is the possible scenarios that can occur at any time in a person's life. For me, it's the feeling of wanting her to stay with me despite this being our only second time meeting. Sounds realistic? Not at all, but things coming up when you least expect it can conflict with the overall idea of reality and that's what I'm going through.

Driving my boat back home, I was thinking about everything that occurred today along with us having a possible future. As much as I want Tsubaki to stay with me, we can't be together because of the circumstances behind our lives which Tsubaki pointed out to me when we first met; she's a mermaid and her kind can't ever have contact with my kind which can result to bloodshed. In my case, I don't have that much free time so I can't always visit her unless I want to risk losing my job.

There are so many things I want to think about, but I don't have a lot of time. Now that I made it to shore, I need to give this day more thought before I do something stupid. I can't help but feel that my mind is going crazy. Tomorrow's a new day so I have to make sure this day allows me to fresh up my mind.

_Tsubaki's POV_

Finally, I was able to get a good night sleep this time around and my fears of solitude were currently laid to rest. I did have a good dream this time around but I guess I can spare some detail. As I woke up to find the early sun rays shining on my face from the surface, I sighed that I was fortunate to have a good dream this time...and a rather intimate one at that, too. I felt my face flushing as I continue to think about the dream where Jin had his way with me. The way he did it, him asking if I was all right with him and waiting until I was ready was so endearing to me that I finally feel like I'm the most gorgeous woman on the planet. I'll leave the rest of the details up to your imagination but this part was important to me as I was beginning to realize that I can't deny this good any further.

I have fallen in love with the human Jin Kisaragi and I don't regret having this feeling.

I don't care if we're different people and I don't care if I'm breaking traditions and act differently from the rest. My heart will always belong to him, but I don't know how I should express it. While this feeling is good, I have come to a realization that many obstacles stand in the way.

My fishtail is holding me back from joining my beloved in the human world and I recall the unfortunate story Ms. Litchi told me about the mermaid who once came to this world long before me and how she failed and disappeared ever since. Well, that was a long time ago. Today will be different and I will do everything in my power to make sure I won't fail. That's something I will do when I find my footing on my visit to Jin's place.

Oh, wait a minute! I almost forgot today is my date with Jin! I have to hurry to our agreed meeting place right now!

_End of Chapter 2._

_I want to give special thanks to Cosmo Camellia for acting as my filter!_


End file.
